- TUES 1/1/19- BLESSED NEW YEAR- Office Closed
- WED 1/2- No Confirmation Class this week, No LYF Mtg.
- THR 1/3- 9:30AM Ricketts Bible Study
- SAT 1/5- 6:00PM Worship at St. Paul, Hanover TWP
- SUN 1/5- 8:45Am Sunday School & Bible Classes
- 10:00AM Worship with Communion (LWML Mite Box Sunday)
Sunday, December 30, 2018
This Week @ St.John
Sunday, December 16, 2018
This Week @ St.John
- WED 12/19- 3:30PM Confirmation
- 6:45PM Carol Singing
- 7:00PM Midweek Advent Worship
- 8:00PM Elders' Meeting
- THRS 12/20- 9:30AM Ricketts Bible Study
- SAT 12/22- 6:00PM Worship with Communion at St. Paul, Hanover TWP
- SUN 12/23- 8:45AM Sunday School & Bible Class
- 10:00AM Worship
- MON 12/24- 5:00PM Triple Parish Children's Christmas Service at St. Paul, Hanover TWP
- 6:30PM Christmas Eve Worship, St. John's
- 9:30PM Candle Light Worship at Immanuel, Soldier TWP
- TUES 12/25- 9:00AM Christmas Day Worship with Communion, St. John
Sunday, December 09, 2018
This Week @ St. John
- TUES 12/11- 8:45AM Pastor at Circuit Conference at St. Matthew's, Mapleton
- WED 12/12- 3:30PM Confirmation
- 5:15PM Sunday School Christmas Practice; Grades 3-8
- 6:45PM Carol Singing
- 7:00PM Midweek Advent Worship
- THRS 12/13- Ricketts Bible Study
- SAT 12/15- 9:00AM-11:00AM Sunday School Christmas Program practice- All Ages
- 6:00PM Worship at St. Paul, Hanover TWP
- SUN 12/16- 8:45AM Sunday School & Bible Class
- 10:00AM Worship with Communion (free will offering for Amigos de Christo)
- 6:30PM Children's Chrismas Service
Thursday, December 06, 2018
Advent Message
Dear Friends in Christ,
Advent is almost here,and one of the traditions we have in the Church is the use of the Advent
wreath. Four colored candles(three blue,one pink)are nestled within the green wreath itself,with a
white candle seated in the center. Each Sunday in Advent an additional candle is lit,until all five candles
burn brightly on Christmas Eve to welcome Jesus,the true light who has come into the world.(John 1:9)
There are two different traditions as to the meaning of the individual candles on the Advent wreath.
For our Sunday sermons in Advent this year we will use the one that fits most closely with our Old
Testament readings.
The first candle(blue)is the Candle of Hope. Just as the promise of a Savior,the righteous Branch
from the stem of Jesse(Jeremiah 33:14-16)brought hope to God's people in their exile in Babylon,so the
coming of that Savior,the one who will reign on the throne of David forever(Luke 1:32-33),has brought
hope to sinners separated from their true home in heaven through the exile of sin.
The second candle(blue)is the Candle of Preparation. At the end of the Old Testament God
promised to send His messenger to prepare the way before Him. (Malachi 3:1) Four hundred years later,
the Word of God came to John the Baptizer in the wilderness,and he began proclaiming a baptism ofrepentance for the forgiveness of sins. John was the Messenger. He prepared the way for Jesus. The
second candle reminds us also to be prepared,through God's gift of repentance and faith,when Jesus
comes again in glory.
The third candle(pink)is the Candle of Joy. One of the all-time favorite Christmas hymns is"Joy to
the World"(LSB 387). We sing of the joy that the coming of Jesus brings to us and to all creation.
Zephaniah 3:17 has a little different take on the joy of Christ's coming. At Jesus'coming,says Zephaniah,
it will be said to God's people,"Fear not,O Zion...The LORD your God is in your midst,a mighty onewho will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over
you with loud singing." Jesus'coming to save us brings joy to God!Now He can have us with Him in
heaven forever!
The fourth candle(blue)is the Candle of Love. This is the hardest candle to fit with the Old
Testament lessons.The lesson for the Fourth Sunday in Advent is from Micah,promising that the Christwill be born in Bethlehem(Micah 5:2). Yet it also talks about the Savior as the one who"shall stand and
shepherd His flock in the strength of the Lord." (Micah 5:4)"The King of Love My Shepherd Is." (LSB709) And of course,why did God send His Son to be born? He"so loved the world that He gave His oneand only Son." (John 3:16)
The center candle (white)is the Christ Candle. Lit first on Christmas Eve,it celebrates the coming
of Jesus,the Light of the World.Jesus,who came once in our human flesh and blood as a tiny babe in
Bethlehem's manger,is present with us in His Word and Sacraments as we journey through this life onour way to our true home in heaven. He promises to come again in glory to take us to that heavenly
home. Whoever follows Jesus will not walk in darkness,but will have the light of life.(John 8:12b)
God give you HOPE this Advent season as you PREPARE to celebrate with JOY the LOVE of
CHRIST our Savior!
Pastor Merrill
Advent is almost here,and one of the traditions we have in the Church is the use of the Advent
wreath. Four colored candles(three blue,one pink)are nestled within the green wreath itself,with a
white candle seated in the center. Each Sunday in Advent an additional candle is lit,until all five candles
burn brightly on Christmas Eve to welcome Jesus,the true light who has come into the world.(John 1:9)
There are two different traditions as to the meaning of the individual candles on the Advent wreath.
For our Sunday sermons in Advent this year we will use the one that fits most closely with our Old
Testament readings.
The first candle(blue)is the Candle of Hope. Just as the promise of a Savior,the righteous Branch
from the stem of Jesse(Jeremiah 33:14-16)brought hope to God's people in their exile in Babylon,so the
coming of that Savior,the one who will reign on the throne of David forever(Luke 1:32-33),has brought
hope to sinners separated from their true home in heaven through the exile of sin.
The second candle(blue)is the Candle of Preparation. At the end of the Old Testament God
promised to send His messenger to prepare the way before Him. (Malachi 3:1) Four hundred years later,
the Word of God came to John the Baptizer in the wilderness,and he began proclaiming a baptism ofrepentance for the forgiveness of sins. John was the Messenger. He prepared the way for Jesus. The
second candle reminds us also to be prepared,through God's gift of repentance and faith,when Jesus
comes again in glory.
The third candle(pink)is the Candle of Joy. One of the all-time favorite Christmas hymns is"Joy to
the World"(LSB 387). We sing of the joy that the coming of Jesus brings to us and to all creation.
Zephaniah 3:17 has a little different take on the joy of Christ's coming. At Jesus'coming,says Zephaniah,
it will be said to God's people,"Fear not,O Zion...The LORD your God is in your midst,a mighty onewho will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over
you with loud singing." Jesus'coming to save us brings joy to God!Now He can have us with Him in
heaven forever!
The fourth candle(blue)is the Candle of Love. This is the hardest candle to fit with the Old
Testament lessons.The lesson for the Fourth Sunday in Advent is from Micah,promising that the Christwill be born in Bethlehem(Micah 5:2). Yet it also talks about the Savior as the one who"shall stand and
shepherd His flock in the strength of the Lord." (Micah 5:4)"The King of Love My Shepherd Is." (LSB709) And of course,why did God send His Son to be born? He"so loved the world that He gave His oneand only Son." (John 3:16)
The center candle (white)is the Christ Candle. Lit first on Christmas Eve,it celebrates the coming
of Jesus,the Light of the World.Jesus,who came once in our human flesh and blood as a tiny babe in
Bethlehem's manger,is present with us in His Word and Sacraments as we journey through this life onour way to our true home in heaven. He promises to come again in glory to take us to that heavenly
home. Whoever follows Jesus will not walk in darkness,but will have the light of life.(John 8:12b)
God give you HOPE this Advent season as you PREPARE to celebrate with JOY the LOVE of
CHRIST our Savior!
Pastor Merrill
Sunday, December 02, 2018
This Week @ St. John
- TUES 12/3- 6:30AM Men's Bible Study
- 5:30PM LWML Christmas Party at Ada J's in Ute
- WED 12/4- 3:30PM Confirmation
- 5:15PM Christmas Practice 3rd-8th Grades
- 6:45PM Carol Singing
- 7:00PM Midweek Advent Worship
- THRS 12/5- Ricketts Bible Study
- SAT 12/7- 6:00PM Worship at Immanuel
- 7:30PM LYF Christmas Party at Pizza Ranch in Denison
- 8:45AM Sunday School & Bible Classes
- 10:00AM Worship
- 1:00PM Pastor preaching at Denison Care Center
- 2:00PM Pastor preaching at Eventide
- 2:45PM Pastor preaching at Silveridge
- 3:00PM Christmas Carolling in Denison with Immanuel & St. Paul
'What Child is This?'
Advent services will begin December 5. Services will begin at 7:00pm. Christmas carol-singing will begin at 6:45pm, before the worship service itself.
Wed. Dec. 5- 'The Child Who is Zechariah's Hope' Isaiah 40:1-5; Luke 1:5-25
Wed. Dec. 12- 'The Child Who is a Virgin's Great Son' Judges 13:2-7; Luke 1:26-38
Wed. Dec. 19- 'The Child Who is John's Joy' 2 Samuel 6:12-23; Luke 1:39-45
Wed. Dec. 24- Christmas Eve 'The Child Who is Lord' Isaiah 9:2-7; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-4
- 6:30PM at St. John
- 9:30PM Candlelight service at Immanuel, Soldier TWP
SUNDAY SCHOOL PRACTICES
- WED DEC 5- 5:15PM Grades 3-8
- WED DEC 12- 5:15PM Grades 3-8
- SAT DEC 15- 9:00-11:00AM PK-8
- SUN DEC 16- 8:45AM Final Rehearsal, During Sunday School
SUN DEC 16- 6:30PM Children's Christmas Service
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